Tribute to Dr Clyde Hertzman

Researchers at Perth's The Kids for Child Health Research are mourning the sudden passing of Canadian child development expert Dr Clyde Hertzman, and send their sincerest condolences to his family and colleagues.

Dr Hertzman was a collaborator on a number of Institute projects and came to Perth in May 2012 for the farewell Festschrift of Institute Patron, Professor Fiona Stanley.

An outstanding public health thinker and academic, Dr Hertzman with colleague Dan Keating wrote the "bible" of early childhood, Developmental Health and the Wealth of Nations. 

He has played a central role in creating a framework that links population health to human development, emphasizing the special role of early childhood development as a determinant of health. His research has contributed to international, national, local, and community initiatives for healthy child development. Dr Hertzman was the Director of the Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP), a collaborative, interdisciplinary research network, based at the University of British Columbia, Canada.

In collaboration with Dr Hertzman, the Institute adapted and adopted the Early Development Index (here known as the Australian Early Development Index).  Most recently, the Institute's Fraser Mustard Centre was working with Dr Hertzman and his team to pilot a new Middle Development Index.

Institute researchers today paid tribute to a man who was not only internationally-recognised for his child development research and advocacy, but was an inspirational tutor, mentor and friend.


Clyde Hertzman's research was across all levels of impact - from that in the individual child and family through community and right up to the nation - with clear evidence that if we invested in early childhood it was good for many outcomes from health, education, child protection, crime reduction, employment and financial success. 
As a colleague and friend I will miss him a lot - he spoke so wonderfully at my festschrift last year and he had accepted to be part of the University of Melbourne Festival of Ideas later this year.  He was a brilliant speaker - you never wanted to speak after Clyde as you sounded drab in comparison.  He was a leader of all of us and his legacy will be huge.
Professor Fiona Stanley
Patron, The Kids for Child Health Research

The world has lost one of its great child health advocates.  Clyde was one of a rare breed of people who could talk to anyone - from Prime Ministers to parents - and convince them of the importance of making sure we use evidence to help kids.  The renewed energy we have in Australia to focus on early childhood in setting the stage for the rest of life owes a lot to Clyde Hertzman.
Professor Jonathan Carapetis
Director, The Kids for Child Health Research

An advocate for early child development, life course epidemiology and population health and wellbeing, Clyde believed that "data talked."  He believed that with population wide monitoring data, translated simply through maps and other methods of communication, we are best placed to provide the evidence and to advocate at a local community level through to Ministers and politicians
I am so fortunate to have been one of the very many lucky people around the world to have been touched by Clyde, but I am indeed blessed to have been able to call him both a wonderful dear friend and a loyal colleague. Over the many years, Clyde showed me that it's not good enough to just be an excellent academic, we also have a responsibility to; advocate and to passionately translate our findings, to create and drive change at all levels, to reduce inequality, promote equity and to support our future generations. I miss him dreadfully already, but he leaves with us his legacy.
Sally Brinkman
Co-Director, Fraser Mustard Centre

Clyde was internationally recognised for his work in child development, and was a great advocate for the importance of data linkage in understanding human development. Clyde was a keynote speaker at our International Data Linkage Conference held in Perth in May 2012, and was nothing short of inspirational in his speech on the importance of using cross sectoral data linkage for understanding healthy child development. Clyde's ability to communicate inspirationally with academics, the community and government will be sorely missed. However, we are certain that his contribution to this field will continue to drive change and motivate life changing research.
Dr Rebecca Glauert
Developmental Pathways Project, The Kids for Child Health Research